Outlet-box



A. sum. ouym BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. I916.

1,304,040. Patented May 20, 1919.

amuewb'oc $15567" Gar/1 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALBERT GUTH, OE PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

OUTLET-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT GUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perth Amboy, county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Outlet-Boxes, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description. 7

My invention relates to improvements in outlet boxes and has for its object to provide an outlet box to which all standard fixtures and fittings may be directly secured, thus: doing away with the necessity of installing a different box for different fixtures or fittings and the removal of one box and substitution of another whenit is desired to use a fixture different from that originallyplanned for, and an outlet box, which, when secured to a beam or joist, will have all its parts flush with or embedded in the plaster of a wall or ceiling. My box is such that it has" an integral stud on which a fixture can be screwed, but which does not interfere with-the securing or use of a fiat cover or'a fitting havin a flat base, thus making it of a universa character of very wide use. It further has for its object to provide an outlet box having a fixture supporting stud and knock-out-holes adapted and arranged to permit the use of various sized cables or conduits, such as are now in common use,and of nipples and connectors for the conduits and cables.

The following is a description of an embodimentof-my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: g 1

Figure 1 is a plan view of an outlet box embodying my invention; A

Fig; 2 is a section with a flat base fitting, partly in section, applied thereto.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings, my outlet box consists of anintegrally cast bottom 1 and wall 2, the bottom being provided with a short screw threaded stud 3 cast integral therewith. This stud is shorter than the height of the wall so as not to extend to its edge, and serves tosupport a depending fixture screwed thereon. This stud has side's in line with its screw-threads rising abruptlyfrom the bottom of said box. Projecting inwardly from the wall are two lugs H extending from the bottom of the box to approximately the top of said wall having screw -threaded holes 5-5 for the securing of various fittings, such as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,562.

axially accessible are two screw-holes 66 for screws for securing the box to a beam or joist. Upon one side of. the line connecting these screw-holes and lugs are two large knock-out holes 77, so located that they are removed for a substantial distance from said stud and from said line, the angles between said line and the radii passing through the center of said stud and the centers of said large holes respectively being greater than 45. The spaces between said knock-out holes and said wall stud and screw-holes are sufficient to permit the use of lock nuts 8 and bushings 9 on conduits and connectors and the screwing of a fixture on said stud. This results in having these large knock-out holes sufficiently removed from the lugs so that the lugs will not interfere with the use of the ordinary lock nuts 8 and bushings 9 on iron conduits 10 or cable connectors 11 when passed through said holes, the exposed internal flat bottom of the box extending to a circle in line with the axis of said stud and of substantially the same diameter as the screw-threaded portion of said stud, and also results in having these knock-out holes so located that the outlet box can be secured to a beam or joist 12 by screws passed through said screw-holes and yet leave the large knock-out holes uncovered so that the cables or conduits can be passed through them and secured in place. On the. other side of the line connecting said screw-holes are two small knock-out holes 1313, so

located that they are removed for a subscrew-holes and yet leave the smallknockout holes uncovered. 18 13 are knock-outs in the small holes. Where both large knockout holes are opened the box can be used elther for connecting a fittlng or fixture or for an extension connectlon leading to another point.

In addition to the two screw-holes above mentioned there are two other screw-holes 1414,Which are located in a line substanoriginally intended.

tially at right angles to the line coimecting the screw-holes first mentioned. .When. the

outlet box is secured to a beam by" screws passing through the two first mentioned screw-holes 6-6, one of the other holes screw is passed through that hole so as to more securely fasten the box to the beam..

The box is a shallow round box three quarters of an inch high. The box may be described as a universal box, since the'knockout holes therein described are adaptedto take all commercial cables and conduits, the small holes beingadapted to receive what are known as circular loom cables, while the large holes are adapted to receive flexible conduit conductors and iron conduits or the B. X. cable. The lugs fir-4f are adapted to receive screws for holding all standard fittings and coverings, while the integral screw-threaded stud 3 is adapted to receive fixtures of various kinds and yet doesnot by its presence interfere with the use of any standard fitting or a flat cover. The lugs l4 do not extend to the top of the wall2, thus making it easier to insert the screws 151 5 which secure the fitting. V 1

By my invention, the adding or removal .of a screw-threaded studis unnecessary,

since where a stud'is unnecessary, my stud is of such length as not to be in the way,

since it is low enough not to interfere with a fiat base fitting 16 or a flat cover and is short enough to permit conductors to be passed above it and through the holes in a fiat base fitting. -The use of a stud of the proportions mentioned, together with the peculiar relation of the knock-out holes, screw-holes and lugs, results in a device having a large range of uses, so that it does not have to be replaced in case it is desired to use a fixture or fitting different from that As'will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits of various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

WhatI claim is: V A

1.- An'article of manufacture consisting of a shallow metal outlet box having a bottom, a'circular wall, a central screw-threaded stud having sides substantially in line with its screw-thread and rising abruptly from said bottom, and two diametrically disposed internally projecting lugs extending from said bottom approximately to the top of said wall, all formed of a single casting and integral with each other, said bottom having a'pair of screw holes locatedresp'ectively on opposite sides 'of said stud and removed from said lugs so'as to be axially accessible, two large conductor holeslocated on one side of the line connecting said screw holes, saidlarge conductor holes being removed for a considerable distance from said line and from said stud, wall and pro-V jections, the angles between said line and the radii passing throughthe center of said stud and the centers of said large holes re spectively being greaterthan 45. 1414 is opposite the beam and a thlrd 2. An article of manufacture consisting of a shallow metal outlet box having a bottom, a circular wall, a central screw-threaded stud having sides substantially in line with its screw-thread and risingabruptly from said bottom, and two diametrically disposed internally projecting lugs extending from said bottom approximately-to the top, of said wall, all formed of a single casting and in tegral with each other, said bottom having a pair of screw holes located respectively on opposite sides of said stud and removed from said lugs so'as to be axiallyaccessible,.two

large conductor holes located on oneside of i,

the line connectingsaid screw holes and two smaller conductor holeslocated on the other side of said line and'removed therefrom, said large conductor holes being removed for a considerable distance from said line-and having sides substantially in line with its screw-thread and risingab-ruptlyfrom said bottom, and two'diametrically disposed Jill-- ternally projecting lugs extending from said bottom approximately. to the top of said wall, all formed of a single casting and integral witheachother, said bottom having 2' a pair of screw holes located respectively on opposite sides of saidstud and removed from said lugs so as to be axially accessible, two large conductor holes located 0110116 side of the line connecting said screw holes and two smaller'conductor holes located on the other side of said line and removed therefrom, said large conductor holes being removed for a considerable distance from said line and from said stud, wall and projections, the angles between said line and the radii passing through the center of said stud andthe centers of said largeholes respectively being greater than 45, and two other screw holes in a line passing through. said stud atright 2: i

angles to the linec'onnecting said other screwholes and also removed from said lugs so as to 'be axially accessible. 1

' 4. An articlefof manufacture-consisting of a shallow Inetal'outlet box having a bottom,

a circular wall, a central screw threaded stud having sides substantially inli ne with its screw-thread and rising abruptly'from said bottom, and two diametrically disposed internally projecting lugs extending from said bottom approximately to the top, of said wall, all formed of a single casting and integral with each other, said bottom having a pair of screw holes located respectively on opposite sides of said stud and adjacent to and between said lugs and also having a pair of screw holes each adjacent to said wall and spaced substantially ninety degrees from said other screw holes, and also two large conductor holes for armored conductors located on one side of the line connecting the 10 on-the opposite side of said line and removed 15 therefrom and from said screw holes.

ALBERT GUTH.

Copies of this patent may be'obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 6. 

